1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to insulated concrete walls. More particularly, the invention relates to an insulation layer specifically shaped to provide an insulated concrete wall having vertical and horizontal reinforcement rods that compensate for a lesser amount of concrete required in a concrete wall.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Insulated concrete walls are well known. Many have various combinations of interior and/or exterior insulation wall layers that produce typical insulated concrete walls. Of particular interest is a concrete wall with an interior, embedded insulation layer that minimizes use of the interior room space and substantially eliminates the need to build out into the interior space of the room being formed. None of the prior art insulated concrete wall structures are designed with an embedded insulation to achieve this desired result.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,825 reveals an upright concrete form structure having two (2) facing side forms that are laterally spaced to form a mold cavity into which concrete is poured to form a concrete wall. Once the concrete is cured, the side forms and the break off ends of the tie bar are removed. U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,221 discloses a well known horizontally disposed concrete form into which masonry panels are placed and concrete poured into the form. When cured, the structure is tilt-up to an upright position.
U.S. Pat. No. 840,804 discloses a wall plug for holding cavity wall panels in place. A concrete embedded portion connects to a top portion that fits over the juxtaposed edges of panels that form the outer mold surfaces of a mold cavity into which concrete is to be poured. Once the concrete is hardened, the wall panels are removed and the extension section that held them in place are simply removed to produce a relatively smooth surface to be finished in any desired fashion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,061 discloses apparatus for forming insulated concrete walls. Insulation panels are juxtaposed along their outer edges covered by sheet metal caps that secures a reinforcing wire mesh to the insulation panel. The reinforcing wire mesh is embedded in the mold cavity to hold the insulation panel in place when concrete is poured into the mold cavity. Drywall gypsum boards may be attached to the sheet metal caps of the insulation modules to finish the interior wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,356 discloses apparatus for the in situ attachment of insulation panels to poured concrete walls as they are formed. F-shaped strips fit over adjacent edges of insulation panels and include projections directed into the mold cavity to be embedded into the hardened concrete. Once the concrete is cured, the embedded projections secure the vertically disposed strips to the outer surfaces of the concrete wall. The strips may be composed of a polymeric material such a polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon or any of several other available materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,844 discloses a structural panel having a plurality corrugations when inter-connected within each of the corrugations. The insulation is disposed within forming skins to produce a panel useful in a wall or roof in constructing buildings and provides improved weather sealing and insulating effectiveness. Nothing is revealed that would lead one having ordinary skill in the art to use this panel in an insulated concrete wall structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,600 reveals the use of foam panels in a spaced parallel relationship and having a plurality of corrugations of different widths. Bridging members are laterally spaced by about 8 inches to maintain the distance between the spaced foam panels for receiving concrete therebetween. No disclosure is found of the panel corrugations being used to displace concrete within the cured structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,445 discloses a plurality of insulation panels having adjacent edges inter-connected with I-shaped, elongate connecting members that encompass the juxtaposed edges. Each of the connecting members includes a tubular element that extends into a mold cavity and is embedded in concrete poured into the mold cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,471 reveals a coupling joint member for casting a seamless ceiling from a hardening material such as concrete. The joint member encompasses juxtaposed edges of insulation panels and includes projecting portions extending into the mold cavity to be embedded in concrete. Use of inner projecting lips or other cross-sectional shapes on C-shaped channels as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,061 may be used to secure the insulation panels to a concrete wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,625,947 discloses T-shaped wall studs placed next to juxtaposed insulation panels and having anchor sections that extend into the mold cavity to be embedded in concrete poured into the cavity. Building codes generally require the width of the mold cavity to be at least eight (8) inches. Here the anchor section of the wall stud has a length sufficient to allow different thickness of insulation thicknesses to be used.